RagaMuffin Cat Breed History

RagaMuffin cat breed is originally a branch of the lovely
Ragdoll, and both breeds have common ancestors.
It is easy to see that they are related - they are both big, long-haired,
friendly cats. They both relax when you lift them up - and may even go
completely limp.

From Ragdoll to RagaMuffin cat breed

Ann Baker started developing a new breed in California the 1960's, using street cats with sweet character as the foundation. She named her cats the Cherubim. Several breeds were used to develop the Ragdoll, but the breed really began from a cat called Josephine. You can read her story here.

In 1994 a group of Ragdoll breeders in the US wanted to develop the breed to a different direction than Ann Baker, who very strictly controlled the breeding programs of Ragdoll breeders of the time.

This new group of breeders wanted to widen the breed's gene pool and create a genetically healty breed with the same lovely personality as the Ragdoll. The cats of these breeders were a mix of all the original Cherubim breeds (the lovely Ragdoll included, of course).

These breeders formed a breeding program of their own, and outcrossed their Ragdolls to other long-haired breeds such as the Persian, the Himalayan and long-haired domestic cats - and Ragdolls as well. They wanted to keep the cat's long coat, but have different colors as well. After the breed was first recognized officially in 2010, the outcrossing ended. In 2011 the breed was accepted for championship in CFA.

As for the name of the breed, the name RagaMuffin (notice the big letter M in the middle) was suggested by one of the original breeders. The name reflected the breed's origins - the breed was developed from the "street urchins" of the cat world. (Actually the name was suggested jokingly, but people liked it and the name stuck.)

As it is still a rather young breed, with a large gene pool, it is a relatively healthy cat.

The RagaMuffin is still a rare breed, with only a few breeders in USA and Europe. Still, this is such a beautiful. sweet looking and loving cat breed it is bound to become more and more popular in the future, as the word spreads. After all - how can you resist a plush-coated, intelligent, sweet teddybear of a cat who thinks you are its best buddy, and loves to purr in your lap?

My Books

Mr Mummific

An ancient friend of mine, Mr Mummific dictated a book about how he became a mummy - and I was his scribe and artist. The book is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

The Nephilim Quest Series

The first book in an epic fantasy series based on human mythology. The search for the mythical Watchers, the angels who fathered the Nephilim, the half-angels. A story that moves on three levels - our times, ancient Greece and ancient Egypt.

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